Hanging lights in new building

[mikeburris]

I got a bunch of old 4X2 light boxes from a business remodel and refit them with new ballast and t8 bulbs (4). I am just getting my new shop built and am curious how people hang them? I have a 40x80 building with 14' walls. Steel building. At this point I have 10 and am putting 2 per 20' square section. I know that doesn't add up but I am not hanging them in all sections, some will have enclosed rooms with lower ceilings that will get other lights.

My real questions is how high would people hang them and why, and what fastening system? thanks

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Exposed steel Z Purlins for the roof structure?

If so, I would consider chains connected to either eyebolts screwed into holes in the purlins, or possibly just drill holes near the edge of the flanges and use large S hooks right into the holes. You will need inverted V sections of chain at each end of the fixture and the vertical chain would hook to this. Electrical supply houses may also be able to fix you up with springy steel inverted V's that snap to the fixtures, if they saw the fixtures and could match them to something.

Are these Troffer lights, intended to be fitted into a suspended ceiling? If so, you will have to become rather ingenious hanging them as I doubt they have any place to attach chains or other hanging fixtures.

As far as height, you want them high enough that you won't be wacking them when you flip over a long 2x4 or 10 ft section of PVC pipe or conduit while working in there. My guess is don't put them below 12 ft.

Charles

 

[VRR]

The bulb output has a lot to do with height and quantity per sq/ft. Flat ceiling or pitched?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Probably looks something like this inside.

 

[mikeburris]

Here are a few pix to help explain what I have. I went to Ace looking for what my son called "jack chain", seemed expensive, $1 per ft.($16 per light). Roughly 4' drop, times 4 to hook to all four corners of each light, x 10 lights. I guess a v on the ends would save about a third. I also have 4 mercury vapor lights that will hang from the center of each section, on their own circuit.

 

[VRR]

Unless budget limited, I would not mix light source types. Not even bulb types. Your T8 fixture type will focus light somewhat, so you'll need to place them close together to minimize shadows. The 5000k/2850 lumen bulbs you have are okay with a CRI of 82, unless you are needing true color in your shop. If so, plan on upgrading to bulbs with 85+ CRI. Looks like your purlin spacing will make direct mounting of the fixtures possible. Any good (good means non-box store) electric supply store can set you up with the correct hangers and other hardware at a good price. There are many good z purlin steel hangers out there. You might check out Cooper and Caddy clips online.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You will find the mercury lights to be a very undesirable light. I would not even waste the time to hang them.

Quite surprised that no one has commented on the PVC compressed air plumbing that shows in one of the pics.

Charles

 

[mikeburris]

You will find the mercury lights to be a very undesirable light. I would not even waste the time to hang them.

Quite surprised that no one has commented on the PVC compressed air plumbing that shows in one of the pics.

Charles

the PVC in the back ground is actually a shop vac piped to my work bench.
That is the garage I will be leaving, and the air is black pipe.

 

[nehog]

I hung my florescent lighting with chain (I had a lot of surplus chain from another project) and I'm happy with that solution. I suppose you might be able to use wire cable, but I don't know if they'd hang straight or not.

I sent from purlin to purlin (about 4') but they could have been mounted the other way too. In my case, each 20' bay has eight lights, two rows of four.

The florescent lights are my quick lighting, when I'm doing detail work I use my HID lights (four per bay) which light the place up like the center of the sun. It's bright enough that I can see stuff buried under the slab!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The florescent lights are my quick lighting, when I'm doing detail work I use my HID lights (four per bay) which light the place up like the center of the sun. It's bright enough that I can see stuff buried under the slab!

I have 12 lights (400w MH) in a 60x60 building (see the pic above in post #4). Two lights for each 20x30 area. Thats darn bright. I cannot imagine twice that in a 20x20 area!!!!!!!

I also cannot imagine paying that kind of power bill, even for sporadic usage.

Charles

 

[nehog]

I have 12 lights (400w MH) in a 60x60 building (see the pic above in post #4). Two lights for each 20x30 area. Thats darn bright. I cannot imagine twice that in a 20x20 area!!!!!!!

I also cannot imagine paying that kind of power bill, even for sporadic usage.

Charles

I'm getting old so the more light the better. If I only have one bay on at a time (which is usual) that's 1600 watts (or a shade over) which isn't too bad since it is only a few hours at a time.

I turn on the HIDs, and once warmed up turn off the florescent lights, and you can't really see a difference!

 

[mikeburris]

I have 12 lights (400w MH) in a 60x60 building (see the pic above in post #4). Two lights for each 20x30 area. Thats darn bright. I cannot imagine twice that in a 20x20 area!!!!!!!

I also cannot imagine paying that kind of power bill, even for sporadic usage.

Charles

Charles I don't see a pic in post 4. I thought it odd when I read the post the first time, and I would like to see it. Also comments on the bulbs I am using would be appreciated. I don't know/understand the lumens, watts etc as far as how its going to work for my space or how high they can or need to be hung. I was actually thinking somewhere between 10 and 12 feet high. The fixtures I am using would be 2 per 20x20 sections.

 

[mikeburris]

Ok Charles I did go through and find your build thread and checked out the lighting.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Not sure why the pic would not show up. It is one I previously posted in another thread, and I went to my User Control Panel (User CP at the very top of the GJ screens, far left item) and then to my attachments (very bottom of the menu on the LH side of the control panel screen) and then worked back thru the attachments till I found it, copied the link to it, and then included it in post #4 as a IMG link. Your browser may be blocking it (odd since it also comes from GJ).

Charles

 

[nehog]

Picture shows fine for me with Firefox.